Enterprise Applications: Five Gmail Labs Features We Need and 5 We Can Live Without

Five Gmail Labs Features We Need and 5 We Can Live Without

by Clint Boulton

Gmail Labs was launched in June 2008 to let Google's Gmail team throw some new experimental tools against the Google wall and see what sticks. In a year's time, the team has thrown out roughly two dozen features to improve user experience, with the idea that some of the features wouldn't make the final cut. In July 2009, Google closed the book on right-side labels, triggering a minor furor from users who loved the feature. In the blog post explaining the reason for removing right-side labels, the Gmail Labs team hinted that it will retire other features. Gmail is now no longer a beta, so Google will likely look more seriously at what tools it intends to keep, with consumers and business users in mind. eWEEK looks at five Gmail Labs tools that users won't be able to live without, followed by five tools we believe the team can jettison.